Boi Bumba - Amazonian folklore festival in Parintins

Parintins festival of Boi Bumba, Bumba meu Boi or Festa do Boi

rules of the Festa do Boi competition;
Parintins festival - a brief description what it is all about;
Where it is - basic geographical information about Amazonia and Parintins plus a satellite photo of the region;
Folkloricroots of Bumba characters Garantido and Caprichoso;
Boi Bumba and Amazonia photo gallery
Boi dictionary (learn who Caprichoso, Garantido, Paje, Tuxaua, Levantador, Toada, Sinhazinha, Curupira, Juma are)
city of ParintinsWinners - who won in the past;
Bumba site in Portuguese
Boi Bumba is an incredible musical and theatrical experience, a religious procession, a tribal ritual, a giant puppet show, a fairy tale of powerful
villains and brave heroes, a folk art presentation, a major party for the audience and an energizing choreography of the galera, all at once.
The characters in the performance come from the Boi Bumba tale. There are two teams called Bois. Each one tells the same story in all three night of
the festival, amounting to 6 different performances of the same show. But every night is different because legends, rituals, dances, puppets,
garments, alegorias, they all change and create the show anew.
To see more photos by Pavel Chernev, visit his photography site.

What is Boi Bumba?

Why Boi - an ox, that is? Why are there two of them? What do their names - Caprichoso and Garantido - mean?
Where does the whole synopsis come from?

Who are Cunha-Poranga, Paje, Sinhazinha, Tuxauas? Why do Curupira's feet point backwards?
Where do Gigante Juma, Cobra Grande, Formiga do Fogo come from?

There are many different answers to each of these questions (it is up to you to decide which
version you want to believe). You can find them in the variety of books, magazines, ethnographical studies, doctoral theses dedicated
to the Boi-Bumbá festival.

Or you can just go to Parintins and get a first-hand impression. Watch the performance.
Listen to the toadas, immerse yourself in the beat of the Marujada and the Batucada. Talk to the local
people, listen to their stories. After that you can come to your own conclusion. Experience the heat and the bustle of the city, taste
the regional dishes and drinks. It is an unforgettable, unique experience. After all, where else can you see a Coca-Cola ad in blue?